NL West

Now Commenting On:

A look back at Wright's decade of greatness

On Mets superstar's 10-year anniversary in Majors, here are five of his signature plays

Email

Print

By Anthony DiComo
/
MLB.com |

SEATTLE -- Ten years ago Monday, Mets third baseman David Wright made his Major League debut against the Expos. He has since played in 1,465 games, stepping to the plate a Mets-record 6,350 times and setting franchise marks in hits, doubles, runs scored, walks, strikeouts and RBIs. He has effectively established himself as the face of this 52-year-old franchise.

Here are five of the top moments from Wright's decade-long career in blue and orange:

July 22, 2004: One day after debuting, Wright recorded the first hit of his career, a double down the line off Montreal's Zach Day. Wright finished his rookie season with a .293 average and 14 home runs in 69 games:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Wright said: "All I could think about was that ball being thrown back in like you see on SportsCenter. I don't even remember running to second. I was gliding around the bases. I was energized."

Aug. 9, 2005: With respect to Wright's highlight-reel catch in Seattle earlier in the 2005 season, this barehanded grab in San Diego remains arguably the most memorable defensive play of his career:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Wright said: "This one was better [than the Seattle catch]. I didn't get bruises up and down my body."

May 19, 2006: The most significant regular-season hit of Wright's career came against Mariano Rivera during the Subway Series, with the Mets in first place and threatening to steal the pulse of the city away from the Yankees for the first time in years:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Wright said: "It's not every day you come back against Randy Johnson and beat Mariano. We're feeling good about ourselves."

March 19, 2009: It would be four years until Wright's heroics on an international stage earned him the flashy nickname Captain America. But Wright planted the seeds for all that again in 2009, in a World Baseball Classic elimination game against Puerto Rico:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Wright said: "The celebration was pretty wild. I never thought that we'd be dogpiling in March, but it was pretty special and something I'll always remember."

Dec. 5, 2012: For all Wright has done on the field, perhaps the most impactful moment for his legacy came off it. With a year left on his contract and free agency looming, Wright ripped that deal up and signed a new eight-year, $138 million agreement to effectively become a Met for life:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Wright said: "I can honestly say I've never pictured myself in a different uniform. It wouldn't be as meaningful if I were to win somewhere else."

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.